To think there should be mental health wards for 18-25 year olds

[Worriedmother666]

To bridge the huge gap between child and adult mental health services.

@myrtleWilson I posted too quickly I’m also acknowledging your a parent worried about your unwell daughter and what will be offered to her

I wish you and your daughter well @myrtleWilsonMyrtle

I'm not in the UK now. Here we don't have psychiatric wards for that age group, but we do have step up/down residential support homes for the under 25s.
It's recognised here that the 16 to 25 age range needs a specific set of factors in their support.
If the psych hospitals had the same facility I do wonder if my son might still be alive.
Being in the adult hospital was a terrifying and actively harmful experience for him.

@Eekay I’m so sorry you lost your son,that’s a truly indescribable pain

@HeelsHandbagPerfumeCoffee thankyou, that's kind. He's particularly on my mind today, and then this thread popped up on Active.

It’s not just mental health, son has type 1 diabetes and when he turned 16 it went from 3 monthly appointments, psychologist support, nurse support, dietician support, phone support 24/7 to once a year appointment at the adult clinic. Son’s type 1 diabetes needs insulin/glucose from him 30+ times per day and impacts hugely on his quality of life, the time when he is leaving home and going to uni is when he needs more support not less. He often has night time hypos and never wakes up so is literally at risk of death every time he’s asleep. But clearly ten minutes a year is fine by way of support.

Yanbu, this is a group that is routinely neglected in my experience and are often abruptly dumped by camhs at 18, often having waited for a diagnosis for the previous year/18 months.

My trust has oncology wards for this age group.

And also, I totally get your realistic take on the situation. There will never be sufficient funding in the UK for even a fraction of the psychiatric care necessary for the population.
You can clap every day for a year if you want. It still won't buy another bed for someone.
From what I read on MN people can't even get therapy when needed, or in-community appointments. Let alone a bed on an appropriate ward/unit.

Yes YANBU.

My DD reached 18 earlier this year and was made to leave the psych ward she'd been in for several months, because of her age, not because she's better.

She has anorexia, depression and anxiety. She'd been seeing a psychologist and psychiatrist.

Since then, nothing. She's seen no mental health professional at all and it's been over a month since she was discharged.

They say, she's being referred, there's long waiting lists, it could be months, it could be years until she sees someone, they don't know (or care). SLAM think this is okay.

It's beyond stressful. I completely agree with you there should have been a ward for her age group she could have gone to instead of care being removed suddenly due to age.

@Eekay I am very sorry for the loss of your son, I could never imagine your pain and I send you my sincerest kind thoughts.

I agree there should be separate services for young adults, as long as over 25 services are not cut to pay for it. An early childhood friend died last year in her mid thirties after being in and out of psychiatric units since 17. I don't know many details but I know the transition to adult services was particularly difficult for her and I wonder if she would still be alive if there was better support when she was a young adult.

@Botanicals thankyou very much. I honestly didn't pop on the thread looking for sympathy, just wanted to heartily endorse the OP's thoughts.
@Worriedmother666 whatever you're going through that prompted you to start this thread, I wish you and the young person you're worried about all the very best

@Eekay you’ve contributed based on experience, and shared about your boy
That’s powerful. Thank you for feeling able to do so.

[quote HeelsHandbagPerfumeCoffee]@Eekay you’ve contributed based on experience, and shared about your boy
That’s powerful. Thank you for feeling able to do so.[/quote]
Agree and it’s not about sympathy, it’s the reality for you and a lot of other people. Thank you.

@HeelsHandbagPerfumeCoffee I just shudder when I see posts about the lack of psychiatric services.
Particularly when the thread is started by a mother.
And the knowledge that lack of funding is the simple reason for this shambles. Well, it's hard to take. Even for the most cynical (realistic!) among us.

Totally agree.

@Botanicals yes, I hate that it's reality for so many families. Oh to not have the benefit of experience in this area.

Yanbu.

Definitely a good idea and possibly not just for mental health.

Where does the additional funding come from to build a d staff such a unit

Well after years of telling us there's no funding for mental provision the Government are currently in the process of setting up 40 clinics for NHS staff (I am not against this, but it seems like there was some money available after all).

@treesandrocks, my heart breaks for you , I so hope your DC gets the help they need soon.
my DD had anorexia from age of 15, she was discharged at 18 and wasnt referred onto adult services as she had just reached a safe weight,trouble was even though she was a safe weight she was still struggling, she hated being so " big" but CAMHS attitude was now you've had 2months of being at a safe weight off you go, we were told adult services wouldn't take her on. Unfortunately to then manage her feelings she turned to drugs and alcohol we had another very rocky year. Thankfully she is now well and at uni, hang in there -they can and will get better

Eekay I’m sorry if this thread has caused you distress, it’s kind of you to share your thoughts

Dd is lucky in that she has us and we have funded private therapy though the last year of lockdown with a fantastic trauma therapist, but for her the transition would have been traumatic

There does need to be more visibility in the services though, in our family alone DD and DH both have multiple and complex mental health diagnoses. DS 17 is currently under the child ADHD team but I’m expecting him to loose support as well shortly

During a year locked in with them all I’ve had no offer of support as their carer from even gp services and I’m CEV and unable to go out due to covid

I thought there were dedicated youth MH wards, for < 26s.
The youth MH services definitely have KPIs & specific pathways just for 'youth' = < 26s.

If by youth you mean 18 and under yes there is CAMHS inpatients
There are then adult inpatient wards 18 and above

@treesandrocks Hi, if it may help at all please do join us on the teen eating disorder thread - I appreciate your DD is a little bit older but I'm in a similar boat to you just a few months behind
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eating_disorders/4168981-Teen-Eating-Issues-Disorders-Support-Thread-2?msgid=105072246

In the community we have CAMHS for children up to age 14. Then a youth service for those aged 14- 25. Then adults.
This works really well.

Inpatient wards for 18-25 year olds would be great. It is needed. As It is, the chances are high that you will be sent to a hospital miles away from your home. It is a disgrace how underfunded we are.

But you could argue that about any treatment, not just mental health. I’m sure it’s scary, but not any more or less scary than oncology, or orthopaedics or gastroenterology.

I strongly disagree with this. The two aren't really comparable.